Flush valve



Sept. 1,1931. P. GRABLER ET Al.

FLUSH VAL-.VE

Filed Nov. 18, 1926 Elm' llllll Invenars @ww/MJ@ Patented Sept. l, 1931 narran srara s rarer einen Y PETER GRABLER, Oli' BCKY RVER, AND XVILLIAl/I GEABLER, GF MANSFIELD, OHIO FLUSH VALVE p,

Application filed November 18, 1926. Serial No. 149,154.

A Our invention relates to valve structures such as are generally used for flushing purposes to control the time of flushing, or the quantity of liushing, or the force oit' the flushing, or any combination of such featuresL The object ot our invention is to produce a simple and eilicient valve means for flushing purposes in which the time and the quantity and the force of flushing is easily controlled; which is adequately lubricated to prevent sticking; which is noiseless; in which the valve is seated easily; and which is adjustable to various flushing fluid pressures and to the time of liushing. Otherobjects will appear, or become apparent or obvious during the description of the apparatus shown in the kaccompanying drawings.

Various embodiments of our invention ma be made and various structures and arrangements oi elements may be made; the device shown in the accompanying drawings being selected to illustrate our invention but not to limit the same. Y

1n the accompanying drawings wehave shown one embodiment of our invention involving certain struct-ure ofrelements and a certain arrangement of elements in a ,device whichdoes carry out our invention. However., since we are aware that ou1 invention can be carried out in other embodiments, or in other structures of elements, or in other arrangements of elements, it is understood that we do not limit ourselves to the embodiment nor to the structure nor to thearrange- Vment of the elements as shown in the accom-Y panying drawings and described in connection therewith. Y

ln the accompanying drawings Fig. g flush valve embodying the features of our invention and shows the general appearance of the flush valve and the relations of the inlet and. outlet and the valve operating means and the by-pass.

Fig. 2 is a sectional perspective view of Fig. 1, on a larger scale, the section being taken inA a vertical plane indicated by the line 2 2 in Fig. 1, and shows the interior relation of the elements. f

1 is a general perspective view of av Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the views.V Y

The casing A is hollow and has the guide way 10, the inlet 11 with the supply pipe'12 threaded therein, the outlet 13 with the outcommunication with the space delined by the guide way 10 through the annular seat 17.

. The cap B is threaded onto the upper end of the casing A as shown to close the top of the same.

The tubular portion 2O of the valve C constitutes a guide for the valve C and lits operably into the guide way 10, is open at the top, and has the groove 21.

The construction and function of this groove 21 Vare important features of our in vention. By reason of the ridges formed by the groove 21, a thread-like structure is formed, the groove 21, running in a continuous spiral from a point somewhat spaced from one end of the guide member 20 toa point somewhat spaced from the other end of said guide member, as shown in Figure 2,

thus leaving a portion of the peripheral surj f face of the guidemember 2O which is uninterrupted bythe groove 21. The purpose of this groove is to interpose a lubricating iilm of water between the guide-way 10 and the valve A and thus almost entirely eliminate the contact of the surfaces and keep the 'guide member 2O and the valve C balanced,

thus obviating corrosion of the brass surfaces. Such a spiral groove produces a more nearly perfect lilm of water to prevent this Vcontact and corrosion'than spaced pockets or separate transverse grooves, since the tendency of a water lm is to move in a spiral. Furthermore, the provision of a large number ofspaced pockets consumes `too much of f the metal for this purpose. This groove 21, furthermore, has no direct outlet to any chamber of the valve, although means are provided for feeding water into the top of the groove 21, as will be hereinafter fully described.

In flush valves, the valve means is operated either by the action of springs, or by the action of the flushing fluid, or by the gravity of the valve, or by a combination of any or all of these means; neither of these means is a positive valve moving means; the valve means must be guided to assure proper seating of the valve; suoli guiding entails friction due to the movement of the guide in the guide way; lubrication is required when there is movement or friction between meinbeis; a flush valve receives no attention as to lubrication; therefore, our invention aims, as one of its features, to assure adequate lu brication for the valve to prevent sticking` thereof and we attain this aim by making the groove 21 continuous.

The upper end of the guide member 2O extends above and beyond the upper end of the guidesway 10 when the valve C cated. This construction is very important in that thereby the possibility of sediment collecting on the contacting surfaces of the guideway 10 and the guide portion 2O is eliminated. Such sediment interferes with the action of the valve in that it causes the latter to stick. The reason our construction prevents such collection of sediment and hence the sticking of the valve is that, since. the guide portion 29 extends above the upper end of the guide-way 10 even wheny the valve is seated and hence can not move do *nwardly any further, sediment can collect only on the lateral surface of the projecting portion of the guide portion 2O and such lateral surface never moves into the guidenvay 10 and hence the sediment is never carried into the guide-way lO so as to reach the inner guidw ing surface therein.

The guide member 2G and the guideway l() have continrous contacting` suriices below the upper extending end r the guide member 20. This construction di"t nguishes from those devices in which ,q e elements are provided having comparatively short or shallow guidey portions, below which any sediment which did reach the contactinol guiding surfaces could escape or be g adually worked or forced into, by the repeated relative movements of the guide member in the guideway...

The member of the valve C has the re- 'duced end 23 threaded into the bottom of the `guide 2O and has the h lo 2f1l through the upper wall.

The cup of leather or other suitable material, has the radial `llrfige held be tween the bottom of the guide and a shoulder on the member 22, and the tubular and expansible flange 2l" extending downward over a portion of the member 22 and is sp ced therefrom to provide the space 23. This space 28 which defines the distance between the downwardly extending` flange 27 and the valve member 22 varies in cross sectional area so as to cause a variation in the pressure of the flushing` water against the flange 27 and hence the pressure with which this flange contacts with or hugs the bott-om of the guide surface of the guide-way l0. The exposed portion of this space 28 is decreased in area. while the valve C is rising, as the member 2O recedes into the bore 10, until the lower portion of the space 28 has completely receded into the bore 10 whereupon the space 2S remains constant in area and the valve element is movable in the guide-way l() with considerably less friction than when the flushing fluid has access to the ilange 27 through the greatest width of the space 2S. rThis condition prevails until the valve moves far enough toward its seat to expose the space 28 below the bore 10, the space 2S increasingly opening into the main chamber. Thus the admission area between the main chamber and the space 2S Vis increased and the flushing liuid has freer access to the space 28 and to the flange 27 and therefore the latter is expanded with more force than when the space 28 is restricted, as previously de scribed, the flange 27 therefore acting as a brake to prevent violent seating of the valve. This braking action is augmented by the greater pressure that the flushing fluid has against the valve when the main valve is being closed than when it is open.

The plug 29 of the valve C has the rcduced end 30 threaded into the member 22 and has the hole 3l through it. The upper end of the plug 29 constitutes a valve seat.

The valve washer 32, of leather or other suitable material, is countersunk into the member 22 and is held in the countersinlr by a shoulder on the plug 29 and abuts the valve seat 17 when the valve is seated.

It is observed that the washer 32 extends outwardly beyond the valve seat 17 for the purpose appearing presently.

The valve 33 seats on the valve seat on the upper end of the plug 29 and has the stem 34 extending downward through the hole 31. The upper end of the valve 33 has the nose 35 to locate and to retain the compression spring 36 which is disposed between the valve 33 and the upper wall of the member 22 and normally holds the valve 33 upon its seat.

The valve operating means is disposed within the boss l5. The stem of the tappet 37 extends into the outlet hole 19 opposite the stem 3i1 as seen in F ig. 2 and the compression spring 38 is interposed between the head of the tappet and the casing to normally hold the stem of the tappet out of'contact with the stem 34.

The handle D has the flange 39 on the inner lll) 'end thereof. The/inner'jface of the *flange 39 is partly fiat and partly beveled or conical. rlhe spring 38 normally abuts thehead ofthe tappet against the flat portionof the lange 39and thereby holds the handle D in normal position shoWn'in full'lines in the drawings. The purpose of they bevel part of the flange 39 vvillappear presently.

The cap E abuts the outer end ofthe flange valve 41 can be adjusted to vary the ow of ushing fluid through the by-pass. The plug 42 is threaded into the boss 16 to close the upper end of the boss above the valve 41 and extends tothe outside of the casing Where it is available for removal and consequent manipula-tion of the valve 41 from the outside of thecasing so that no other part of the flush valve needs to be disturbed When adjustment is made for different 3ressures or for diierent time periods of flushing. The flushing substance also` fills the continuous spiral groove 21 in the guide portion 20 When the valve member C is in its uppermost position, since thev upper end of the groove 21 extends upvvardlyl beyond'the out- `ict of the restricted duct 40 in this position of the valve member. The ilm of Water is retained in the thread-like! groove 21 as the guide portion 20 descends', and the` valve C and guide portion 20 are consequently kept balanced or centralized, as hereinbefore described. l

The brake, in the present .instance con,- stituting the cup 25, and the valve 41 in the by-pass are important features of our invention in that such structure and arrangement of elements eliminates noises, such as pounding, and reduces the Wear and tear on Vjthe valve and valve seats, and provides a ready means, available from the outside of the casing, for eectingadjustments to suit various pressure conditions as Well as to regulate the time of flushing.

The pressure of the flushing fluid varies and, therefore, a commercial flush valve Vis noisy and subject to unnecessary Wear under these varying conditions.

We eliminate this noise and unnecessary Wear either by the brake, or by the valve 41 in the by-pass, orfby both. f

The valve 41 can be adjusted to vary the flovv of flushing 'fluid through the by-pass so that the operation of the flush valve can be adjusted to different pressures vof the flushing fluid'and thereby eliminate noisy operation of the flush yvalve and promote easy seating of the valve means and can also be adjusted sothat it takes a longer or shorter time to fill the space'in the guide and ythereby prolongror shorten the time between the opening and the closing of the valve and consequently prolong or shorten the time of flushing.

The brake also acts to eliminate noisy op'- eration and to promote -easyseating ofthe valve as Will appear presently and co-op crates with the valve 41 in the time of flushing. Y f

As to the operation of the flush valve shown and described The-elen'ients of the flush valve are shown in normal positions and relations in full lines in the drawings, the valve Washers 32 and 33 being closed and the valve 41 being adjusted to suit a certain pressure of the flushing fluid and to a certain time of flushing.

The flushing fluid enters through the hole 18 and fills all spaces above the valve Washer 32 including the groove 21 and the bypass40.

Since the valve 33 is closed and since there is no other Way open' forl the flushing fluid to reach the hole 19 in the outlet, there is a seal between the inlet and the outlet and the flushing Huid can not pass through the flush valve and the ,by-pass 40 retains the pressure of the flushing fluid above the valve Washer 32 at full pressure and thereby holds the valve Washer 32 down on the seat 17.

l,"Vhen the handle l) is forcibly moved inV any direction, the flange 39 is tilted;` a portion of the outer face of the flange contacts the cap E and thereby forms an abutment for the flange39 and a portion of the beveled in! ner face of the flange pushes the tappet 37 inwardly and against the stein 34 and tilts the same and consequently tilts the valveV 33 on the seat thereof and opens a communication between the interior of the guide and the outlet through the holes 24 and 31. The just i described positions of the elements are shown in dotted lines. f

As soon as the valve 33 is open, the flushing fluid'starts to flow through the holes 24 and 3l. Since the holes 24 and 31 are larger than the by-pass 40 and since the valve 41 affords additional restrictiony means in the holey 40', the pressure of the flushing fluid flows out quicker from the guide than the ley-pass can supply it and thereby, the pressure is released on the Wall 43.

Normally, the flushing fluid in the hole 18 contacts the portion 44 of the Washer 32 but the valve is not moved by such contact as long` as the pressure of the flushing fluid above the Wall 43 is the same as the pressure below the valve Washer`32 since the area of the Wall 43 Which is exposed to that pressure is largerthan the area of the surface 44.

Vhen the pressure against the Wall43 is released as explained above, V the pressure against the surface 44 remains at full force and acts on the surface 44 and pushes the valve C upward and thereby opens a direct communication between the inlet and the outlet throughl the space 45. This open valve condition persists as long as the handle D is held down against the action of the spring 38. Upon release of the handle D, the spring 38 pushes the tappet away from the stem 34 and the spring 3G seats the valve 33 on its seat and thereby closes the fiow of flushing fluid between the guide and the outlet through the hole 31 and the flushing fluid fiows into the guide through the hole 4() and is retained therein and fills the same at full pressure and thereby forces the same downward, aided by the gravity of the valve C, and thereby seats the valve washer 32 on the seat 17.

ln order to prevent a noisy or violent seating of the valve C, we provide, either in connection with or independently of the above described valve in the by-pass the brake or cup 25.

When the valve C is open, the flushing fluid flows freely through the space Ll5 and has no tendency to exert any appreciable pressure in the space 28 against the tubular flange 27 to force the same outwardly against the guide way. However, as soon as the valve C starts to move downward, it diminishes the space or opening between the inlet and the outlet. Asthis opening diminishes, the pressure in the space 28 rises and exerts its pressure against the inside of the expansible tubular flange 27 and forces the same outwardly against the `guide way and thereby retards the violent seating of the valve C.

"When the valve 4l is moved toward or away from the seat thereof, the flow of the flush ing fiuid through the hole 40 is retarded or increased; therefore, it takes a longer period of time to fill the guide when the valve 4l is closer to its seat than when it is further away and consequently the fiushing continues longer because the main valve does not close until there is enough pressure in the upper chamber of the casing A to close it. With this arrangement, the flushing time can be varied to various periods and can be suited to various pressures of flushing fluid.

lVit-hout limiting ourselves to the precise embodiment of our invention as shown and described, nor to the structure and arrangements of elements as shown and described,

We claim 1. .A flush valve including a casing formed with an inlet and an outlet and a guideway,fa valve member formed with a guide portion operable in said guidewway, said guide portion being formed with a peripheral spiral groove forming a thread-like spiral ridge-structure, said groove terminating short of the ends of the guide portion, and means for unseating said valve member.

2. A flush valve including a casing formed with an inlet and an outlet and a guideway, a valve member formed with a guide portion operable in said guide-way, means for maintaining a continuous body of flushingl fluid around and lengthwise of said guide portion and out of direct connection with the other Huid-containing chambers of the valve, and means for unseating said valve member.

3. A flush valve including a casing formed with an inlet and an outlet and a guideway, and a controllable restricted entrance duct into the valve portion above said guideway, a valve member formed with a guide portion operable in said guide-way, said guide portion being formed with a peripheral spiral groove forming a spiral threadlike ridge-structure, said groove terminating short of the ends of the guide portion and connecting with said restricted duct in the uter position of said guide portion, and means for unseating said valve member.

ll. A iiush valve including a casing formed with an inlet and an outlet and a guideway, a valve member formed with a guide 1portion operable in said guide-way, a braking cup having a radial flange held between said guide portion and the valve member and an expansible tubular depending flange adjacent the inner end of said guide-way, said depending flange and said valve member having a space therebetween, a portion of said space extending below said guide-way and being open to the inlet when said valve member is seated, kwhereby a variation in the pressure of the flushing fluid against said depending flange is effected as the valve member moves. and means for unseating said valve member.

5. A flush valve including a casing formed with an inlet and an outlet and a guideway, a valve member formed with a guide portion operable in said guide-way, a braking cup having a radial flange held between said guide portion and the valve member and an expansible tubular depending flange adjacent the inner end of said guide-way, said depending flange and said valve member having a space therebetween, a portion of said space extending below said guideway and being open to the inlet when said valve member is seated, whereby a variation in the pressure of the flushing fiuid` against said depending flange is effected as the valve member moves, this pressure decreasing as the valve member moves away from its seat and increasing as the valve member moves toward its seat, and means for unseating said valve member.

ln testimony of the foregoing l aiiix my signature.

VILLIAM GRABLER.

In testimony of the foregoing I aiiix my signature.

PETER GRABLER. 

